It has been possible to observe a significant increase in the incidence of skin cancer diseases in recent times. The principal cause of this is the increasing trend for people to expose themselves to intensive solar radiation. The most common skin disease having fatal consequences is that which is known as malignant melanoma, which occurs in the Central European region, for example, with an incidence of approximately 12/100,000 of the population/year (Fortschritte der Medizin (title of German medical journal meaning “Advances in Medicine”), No. 6, 2003).
Provided the skin disease is diagnosed at a sufficiently early stage and therapy, which generally involves surgical removal of the diseased tissue, is initiated immediately, the prospects of recovery are good. However, early detection of the disease poses problems.
Until now, an examination of the skin for skin cancer has mostly involved a visual examination performed with the aid of a magnifying lens. In the course of this examination the dermatologist analyzes abnormalities of the skin such as, for example, pigmented moles or skin lesions (nevi). These are usually checked for asymmetry, border irregularity, color variability and diameter. An irregularly and indistinctly bordered skin abnormality with mixed pigmentation and anametically observed growth tendency is highly suspect with regard to malignancy.